Sparks in a Dark Room

Sparks in a Dark Room is the second studio album by Dutch experimental electronic post-punk/ultra band Minny Pops. After signing to Factory Benelux in 1982 following their "noisy" and "goofy" debut album Different Measures, Drastic Movement (1979), the band settled into a new, less aggressive sound featuring influences of industrial music and funk. Recording Sparks in a Dark Room in late 1981, the band headed for a more clinical and clean sound. Considered a high point of the ultra movement, the record features cold, electronic tones and darkly humorous lyrics from lead singer and songwriter Wally van Middendorp.

Released by Factory Benelux in May 1982, the album was not a commercial success but its critical standing has become increasingly positive. The album has since been regarded as a lost classic. Uncut described it as an "under-the-radar-masterpiece" whilst Careless Talk said it "places Minny Pops squarely within the realm of an early 80s interface that pitched accessible pop conveniences and electronic experimentation in the same arena." Today it is considered part of the origins of dark wave and industrial dance music. The album was remastered and re-released in March 2003 by LTM with numerous bonus tracks, and by Factory Benelux in March 2014 with even more bonus material, namely a live album recorded at the Melkweg in 2012.